Often, a user viewing a particular TV show or other media content on a first channel will change the channel and begin viewing other media content on a second channel when an advertisement set begins on the first channel; the term “advertisement set” referring to a single advertisement or multiple advertisements presented in series as during, for example, a commercial break in TV programming. As a new channel has been selected and is now presented for viewing, the user may be unaware when the advertisement set concludes on the first channel. As a result, the user may return to the first channel only after the desired media content has resumed. Alternatively, the viewer might underestimate the time necessary for completion of the advertisement set and, thus, switch back to the first channel prematurely. The user may further engage in the frustrating practice of repeatedly returning to, briefly checking, and again switching away from the first channel, while awaiting conclusion of the advertisement set. In still other instances, the user might be distracted by other programming or some other task (e.g., as viewed or performed utilizing a tablet, smartphone, or other electronic device serving as a “second screen”), thereby increasing the likelihood that the user will inadvertently miss a portion of the initially-selected “high interest” programming.
While the placeshifting of media content can improve the convenience afforded to the end users in viewing media content, issues relating to the disruption of high interest media content by advertisement sets remain to a large extent. It is therefore desirable to provide devices, systems, and methods for alleviating such inconveniences when users change channels or otherwise navigate away from high interest media content in response to disruption of the media content by an advertisement set. These and other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background section.